Ustaz Abdalla Yusuf, an APC political leader and government contractor in Kogi State, has questioned the selection of Hon. Tijjani Ebaiya as the party’s consensus candidate for the Lokoja 1 State Constituency seat in the House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 election.
Yusuf, said he believes Ebaiya who is the incumbent Assembly, may face challenges with voters and that the decision could affect the party’s prospects in the upcoming election.
“From my assessment, Ebaiya would have a difficult time being reelected to the Assembly. I think APC’s chances in Lokoja 1 Constituency would be stronger with a different candidate,” Yusuf said.
Yusuf, son of the late Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf Abdalla, pointed to what he described as Lokoja 1’s political tradition of single-term representatives. He said that, in his view, past Assembly members from the area were not returned for a second term regardless of performance.
“In Lokoja 1 constituency, we have not had a two-term Assembly member. That has been the pattern here,” he explained.
He also questioned the process that led to Ebaiya’s selection. According to Yusuf, Ward E had been considered next in line for the Assembly ticket, but the arrangement changed after the incoming Local Government Chairman emerged from the same ward.
“My understanding is that because the incoming LG Chairman comes from Ward E, the ticket was subsequently zoned to Ward A instead. After that happened, more aspirants from Ward A joined the race,” Yusuf stated.
Yusuf expressed concern about how the decision was reached, saying he believes a small group of stakeholders should not determine outcomes for a large number of voters in Lokoja.
He further noted differences in the size of wards, stating that Ward A has over 100 polling units while Ward B, where Ebaiya is from, has 25. In his opinion, some stakeholders involved in the zoning decision may not have strong electoral influence in their own polling units.
“Based on what I’ve seen on the ground, I doubt some of the stakeholders who supported the zoning could deliver strong results for APC in their units in a competitive contest,” he said.
Yusuf appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to revisit the decision. “Reviewing this through a fair and inclusive process would, in my view, help unite the party and strengthen our chances at the polls,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yusuf commended the party’s decision in Lokoja 2 Constituency, where the ticket was given to the current Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf.
He praised Governor Ododo and former Governor Yahaya Bello for the decision on Lokoja 2. “In my opinion, Rt. Hon. Yusuf has performed well, and I believe that will help him in Lokoja 2. I think there is a significant difference between his situation and that of his Lokoja 1 colleague, Hon. Ebaiya. Even with strong performance, I believe Ebaiya would face very difficult odds for reelection given the constituency’s history,” he added.
